Electronic components often require cooling during operation to reduce the probability of failure and increase the reliability of the entire system. Microchips are often the most demanding component on a circuit card assembly due to their operating speeds and power consumption. Conventional methods of cooling microchips typically involve a form of passive cooling where heat is transferred from the microchip through a heatsink and then into the ambient environment. Often, fans are used to move air over the heatsink, increasing the heat transfer rate from the microchip.
In a typical missile application, a heat source is cooled passively by conducting heat through several media and ultimately to the missile housing itself. As chip level heat loads increase, the ability of passive thermal management systems to effectively cool electrical components is challenged. In confined installations such as a missile application, conventional passive thermal management techniques may not provide sufficient cooling.